Engine starter



w. s'. DEANS ENGINE STARTER ApriLBO, 1929 Filed Oct. 24, 1923 S. Y. E mm M m m V, A m m M W 2W E wfi Patented ha 30,192a,

wrnnmm s. DEANS,

, MENTS, T0, ECLIPSE MACHINE QOMJPANY, 'OF

' My invention relates to engine starters, and it has particular relation to starters for internal-combustion engines of automobiles or other motor vehicles.

. My invention has for'one of its objects to;

provide an engine starter that is automati cally operatively connected to an internal I combustionengin'e upon the operation of the starting-motor.

t -A second objet lo'f'my invention is to provide an engine starter"ofzthecharacter de- -'scribed above wherein a member that-is movablexaxially ofa; pinion operates automativ eally toshiftthe pinion'in-the plane of its rotation into and'out of engagement with a coacting member. p p -An engine starter constructed in accordance with my'invention comprises a member that' is oprativ'ely connected to the shaft. of.- the-startingmotor in such-manner as 'to be moved longitudinally upon the rotation of the shaft. The longitudinally movable member coacts" with the driving pinion to actuate the latter'radially or in the plane of its rotation up the outward movement of the longitudinally movable member.

' In the accompanying drawing,v

Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of a portion of an o englneflywheeland an engine starter constructedin accordance with my invention Fig. 2 isaa'view, similar-tolfig. 1, illustrating'the'pinionuin engagement with the fiywheel gear;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 2.

Referring to-the drawing, an engine fly-' wheell, only a portion of which is shown, is.

, provided with gear teeth 2. A starting motor 3,:which'may be, for example. an electric mo'tor,=is provided wrtlran: armature shaft 4' having a hollow borcriiidieatedat 5. p

" -:-.The hollow portiont ofitheshaft 4 is occupied by-a shortshaft 6 that isconnected to them-mature shaft 4 by'a pi'n7 and helical slots" 8-.- The'shaft 6 'is provided at an inter-' mediateportion with a'fla'nge 9 having a ra Y dially-extendingslofi 10 therein. 11 The outer:

portion of the sh'aftfi istapered at 11 to pro-f vide anend portion ofsiibstantially cone shape -lkn endfcasting 13, which'provides a bear ing' s'upport' for tlieshafts'4 and 6; is pro-" vided with radially-extending lugs 14 where- "ab iitaa'n filed octtbei :24, 1923. Serial No. $70 ,581,

or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; ASSIGNOR, 'B'Y NEsNE AssIGN-,

ELLIIRA HEIGHTS-NEW YORK, A COR NGI E STARTER. 1

by the motor and its associated parts may be secured to the flywheel housing (not shown); The casting 13 is provided, also, with z/pr'o- 5 .jectin'g portion 15 for supporting the bearing 16 of a stub shaft 17 that is integral with a' pinion 18.- I The'bearing 16 is retained in p0: e0-

sition by means of a supporting memberl9.

that is bolted or otherwise secured to the projection 15. -The shaft 17 andthe pinion 18' are retained in the bearing 16 by means of'a collar 20 that is pinned to theouter end pertion of the shaft 17,

- The bearing 16 is mounted in an oblongslot 21 in the members i 15 and 19 for vertical movement relatively to the latter members, and is maintained in 'horizontal aline'm'ent 79 during this movement by means ofvert ieally: "j extending pins 22 and 23, A spring 24 nor-Q mally holds the bearing 16 and the pinion-18 a in their uppermost positions in which] they are illustrated in Fig. 1.' I '3 The pinion,on its side adj acent to the motor, is provided with a'fiange 25 and with a relatively deep recess 26 that is tapered at its in ner portion at substantially the same angle as the conical surface 11 of the shaft 6. The flange 25 carries a pin 27 that extends into the slot 10 in the flange 9 to operativelv eon nect the pinion 18 to the shaft 6 and thereby to the shaft 4 of the motor.

Normally, the several parts are'in their rc- 5 spective positions in which they are illustrated in Fig. 1. When the motor 3 isenergized in any usual or suitable manner by meansnot shown. the shaft 4 rotates in a vclockwisedirection, as viewed from the left v the slots 8 that are enfiafiedfbyjthe pin 7.

The 'longitudinal outward movement of v the shaft 6 causes the conicals'urface'll to eie'r't a cam action upon the inelined surface of thejrjec'ess 26 in the pinion 18. and the lat- 1 ter, together with thebearing '16 and pins 22 aind 23i' are moved downwardly against the force of the spring 24 until the shaft 17 is in aitialaline'ment with the shared The parts are' -thenin' theirrespectivepositions in .105 which they are illustrated in Fig. 2, the pin-' ion 18being completely meshed with the flywheel gear 2. The motor thereupon drives flange 9, "pin 27 and flange 25.

tli'e ffiini ofix'ilfiathrough the shaft a, shaft 6,

" When the engineis started and operates under. its owrr povgemfthe gpinion ,liibecomesthe driven m ber ahdis rotated ht aspeect'that l 1 "is higher than"that of the shaft 4. 'Accordringly', the shaft 6 is rotated relatively to the:

f-i shaft' i-iandthe inclined'surfaces. of the slots 8 exert a camaction to actuate the shaft 6 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1. As the shaft'6 is withdrawn from the recess 26, the spring 24; actuates the pinion-18 "and 'its. associated str,uctureupward ly out 'of engagement with tlijef flywheelgear '2; VVhen this' operation is completed, the;- several parts 'again, occupy:

.- theirnormal positions; The ci'rcuitof the motor maybe opened'by thefoperat-or at any 1 desired time after the starting of the engine.

' An-engine starter constructed in accordance'with my invention possesses the advantage's' that"' it'fis automatically connected to thj'engine upon the operation of the'motor. comparatively simple means" are provided i whereby longitudinal movement'of one memright angles theretotocomplete the operative v connection-of the; motor-to the engine. The deviceTopera-te's without shocks caused by im pact'..:'of',r'apidly'moving parts, such. as are incident ,totthe operation.- of engine starters movable axially of said pinion and coacting with said recess for controlling the'position of the pinion and for rotating the latter and includinga vlongitudinally movable shafttermin'ating l a conical end which cooperates with-said conical recess.

"n"' engine starter, the combination with, ang'engine member and. a pinion movable-in the plane -of \-r otationof said engine member. into and out of engagement therewith," said pinion having a central substantially conical recess in one facethe'reof, of

a motor havinga shaft, means for automati- "callyactuating said pinion into'engagement with saidengine member upon -rotation of said 'motor shaft, said means including a member having an inclined end-surface enter fling-said pinion recess andjmea'ns maintaininglconstan't driving connectioirbetween said motor shaft and said pinion ataplace on said pinion radiallybey d the confines of said-recess. I 1 I -3.'Int an enginejsta I .1113 .Combination' withlan engine membera movable. in-the plane offrotationlofgsiild engine mem- 5 her and out of engagement therewith,

beri effects movement of anothcr'member at of means for biasing said -pinionzto its dia engaged position, a 'motor and 'means for. automatically actuating said pinion into en-.. gagement with said engine aneniberupo'nthe I rotation ofii'saidim'otor,said means comprisefio ing amember movable longitudinally of the motor shaft andcngaging said pinion, certain of. the engaging surfaces of said members being of substantially conical form. r 2.

4. In anengine starter, the combination to xwith an engine member and a pinion movable in the plane of rotation of saidengine member into and out of engagement therewith, of means for biasing said pinion to its disengaged position, a motor and means" for-8 0 automatically actuating said pinion into engagcmcntwith said engine member upon the i rotation of said motor, and thereupon rotating said pinion, said means comprising a member movable longitudinally of the'motor shaft and being operatively con'nected'there- V Yto bya pin-and-slot connection, said member exerting a cam action on. said'pinion and being operatively connected thereto.

her having a cam engagementjwith, and an operative connection to, said pinion, and a pin-and-sl0t connection to the shaft of said. motor for longitudinal movement relatively thereto.

6. In an engine starter, the combination, with a pinion'mounted for rotation and for movement transversely of its axis but fixed as to movement longitudinally, ofmeans .inconstant driving relation-rotarily with the. pin-ion andincluding a shaft longitudinally movable and having a conical end, said pins, ion having a central conical recess with which said conical end of the shaft cooperates-to move the pinion transversely of its axis.

7. In an engine starter, the combination,

' with a pinion mounted for rotation and for no movement transversely of its axis'b'ut fixed as to movement longitudinally, of 'means in constant'driving relation rotarily with the pinion and'including a member movable longitudinally and cooperating with the pinion to move it transversely of its axis, a motor having a shaft provided with a pin and inclined slot connection'with said member for so moving it longitudinally. 1

8. In an engine starter, the combination of a motor having an extending bracket, a shaft having at one end a driving member and mounted at the other end in the bracket :for rotary movement and for movement transverse of .its axis, and means operated by the motor for'rotating the driving meme berand for camming it transverselyof its axis. v a 9.vIn an engine starter, the combination of a motor having an extending bracket, 11 3 5. In an engine starter, an engine member. 90 and a pinion movable in the plane of its rotation into and out of engagement with said engine member, of a motor, and a mem-- mines shaft having at one enda driving member and mounted at the other end in the bracket for rotary movement and for movement transverse of its axis, and means operated by the motor for rotating the drivin member and for moving it transversely'o its axis, said motor having a driving shaft and said means including a shaft intermediate the other two shafts and operativelyconnected with said driving member and said driving shaft.

10. In an engine starter, the combination of a motor having an extending bracket, a shaft having at one end a driving member and mounted at the other end in the bracket for rotary movement and for movement and for longitudinal movement thereof as a result of the rotation of the motor shaft, and cooperating with the driving member to rotate it and moveit transversely of its axis.

11. In an engine starter, the combination of a motor having an extending bracket, a shaft having at one end a driving member and mounted at the other end in the bracket for I rotary movement and for movement transverse of its axis, and means operated by the motor for rotating the drivin member and for moving it transversely 0 its axis, said motor having a driving shaft and said means including a shaft intermediate the other tw'o shafts and operatively' connected with the motor shaft for rotation therewith and forlongitudina'l movement thereof as a result of the rotation of the motor shaft, said driving member having at one end a central conical recess and said intermediate shaft having its adjacent end formed conical to cooperate with said recess.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of October 1923.

WILLIAM S. DEAN S. 

